Objective : The aim of this study was to clarify the approaches taken by husbands that helped women who were raising a child for the first time to be more positive about housework and childcare.

Methods : Qualitative descriptive research with semi-structured one-to-one interviews was conducted for 11 postpartum women who were physically and mentally healthy and had given birth at full term at a perinatal medical center in a regional city in Japan.

Results : Data analysis led to the emergence of 3 categories : （1）‘willing to speak caring word to me’ （2）

‘willing to be affectionate to our family’ （3）‘willing to work to his best at housework and childcare for our family’.

Conclusions : It was apparent from the interviews that the husbands and wives respected and supported each other and that there was harmony in the marital relationship. The results of this study indicated that it is important for husbands to understand the situation of living with their children, for husbands to show kindness to their wives, for wives to accept those feelings of the husbands, and for the husbands to be conscious of their responsibility to participate in both housework and child rearing. The results of this study also showed the importance of the attitude and behavior that accompany these responsibilities and the importance of words the husband and wife use to help each other while understanding the situation.

Objective : The aim of this study was to clarify when first-time fathers feel happy in their relationship with his wife.

Methods : Qualitative descriptive research with semi-structured one-to-one interviews was conducted for 13 men.

Results : Three categories were revealed : （1） feeling at peace watching my child grow up together with my wife, （2） a feeling that the wife cares about the husband having become a father, and （3） a feeling that the wife is aware of the thoughtfulness shown by the husband’.

Conclusions : The subjects of this survey, men who had become fathers for the first time, talked about the empathy and intimacy that are achieved through communication between the husband and wife. The birth of a child led to a deepening of the relationship and an increase in intimacy between the husband and wife. The intimacy between the husband and wife is maintained and family harmony is achieved when they relate to each other as parents of the child and as husband and wife.

The results of this study will be helpful for understanding the feelings of both difficulty and happiness that are experienced when raising children and should be useful for enhancing subjective well-being and achieving family harmony.

It has been reported that patients with schizophrenia have a life expectancy 10 to 15 years shorter than the general adult population. Therefore, interventions to extend their healthy life expectancy are necessary. The subjects were two patients with schizophrenia who were obese （body mass index of 30 kg/m2 or higher） and at high risk for health problems such as heart attack, diabetes, and cerebrovascular disease. The patients received nutritional counseling to prevent sarcopenic obesity, and daily range of motion （ROM） and walking exercises. Although the joint ROM of the shoulder joint （flexion, abduction, and external and internal rotation） was below normal ROM, ROM increased slightly following the intervention. Thus, ROM exercises have the potential to improve ROM. The patients’ body weight decreased slightly; however, they did not change their eating habits and muscle strengthening was not observed. Our findings suggest that continued exercise therapy and nutritional counseling are necessary for the prevention of sarcopenic obesity.

Objective : To elucidate infection control challenges and support needs in residential elderly care facilities, aiming to address and resolve infection control issues in these facilities.

Methods : This was a cross-sectional study, utilizing a questionnaire survey distributed by mail. The survey was conducted from December 2022 to January 2023. The target population comprised residential elderly care facilities in Tokushima Prefecture, with facility managers serving as respondents.

Results : Valid responses were obtained from 133 facilities, yielding a valid response rate of 35．3%. COVID-19 cases were reported in 122 facilities （91．7%） among staff, 75 facilities （56．4%） among patients, and 48 facilities （36．1%） experienced clusters. Comparing facilities based on their level of dependence on

medical care and nursing care, significantly more clusters occurred in facilities with higher levels of dependence （p=．017, Pearson's chi-square test）. Business Continuity Plans （BCP） were in place in 78 facilities （58．6%）, and the most frequently requested support for infection control was training （simulation） reported by 65 facilities （48．9%）.

Discussion : The results indicated many clusters occurred in geriatric health care facilities and special nursing homes for the elderly, where a significant number of patients are dependent on medical and physical care. Furthermore, the establishment of BCP was found to be lacking. The study also highlighted a high demand for training （simulation） to prepare for cluster occurrences. Support tailored to the specific conditions of individual facilities is necessary to effectively address these challenges.